Blind date: ‘I got the impression he liked me well enough, but who knows?’
Andrew, 75, is a retired graphic designer / cartographer and meets Gilli, 64, is a training consultant, group facilitator and counsellor
Andrew on Gilli
What were you hoping for?
An exciting evening in a great restaurant with a lovely lady I might be able to start a relationship with.
First impressions?
Gilli looked absolutely fantastic, with lovely curly hair.
What did you talk about?
The usual … Life history and relationships. The difference between acquaintances and friends. Where we are in life. Music. Hobbies. U3A groups. No politics.
Most awkward moment?
Perhaps me choosing oysters for my starter.
Good table manners?
Excellent. And we both chose healthy meals – no grills for us. And no alcohol as we were both driving.
Best thing about Gilli?
Her beauty, and her enthusiastic and confident conversation.
Would you introduce Gilli to your friends?
Definitely.
Blind date is Saturday’s dating column: every week, two strangers are paired up for dinner and drinks, and then spill the beans to us, answering a set of questions. This runs, with a photograph we take of each dater before the date, in Saturday magazine (in the UK) and online at theguardian.com every Saturday. It’s been running since 2009 – you can read all about how we put it together here.
What questions will I be asked?
We ask about age, location, occupation, hobbies, interests and the type of person you are looking to meet. If you do not think these questions cover everything you would like to know, tell us what’s on your mind.
Can I choose who I match with?
No, it’s a blind date! But we do ask you a bit about your interests, preferences, etc – the more you tell us, the better the match is likely to be.
Can I pick the photograph?
No, but don't worry: we'll choose the nicest ones.
What personal details will appear?
Your first name, job and age.
How should I answer?
Honestly but respectfully. Be mindful of how it will read to your date, and that Blind date reaches a large audience, in print and online.
Will I see the other person’s answers?
No. We may edit yours and theirs for a range of reasons, including length, and we may ask you for more details.
Will you find me The One?
We’ll try! Marriage! Babies!
Can I do it in my home town?
Only if it’s in the UK. Many of our applicants live in London, but we would love to hear from people living elsewhere.
How to apply
Email blind.date@theguardian.com
Describe Gilli in three words
Vivacious, loquacious and beautiful.
What do you think Gilli made of you?
I really don’t know, though I hope she found me smiley, chatty, confident and humorous. But perhaps she thought I was too old?
Did you go on somewhere?
She said she was tired and didn’t want to go to another venue. Manchester was buzzing, so that was a shame.
And ... did you kiss?
Two pecks on the lips!
If you could change one thing about the evening, what would it be?
An earlier start so we could have had more time – it flew by.
Marks out of 10?
9.
Would you meet again?
We discussed meeting again (and swapped numbers), but the age gap and different desires for the future make another date pointless.
Gilli on Andrew
What were you hoping for?
A warm, interesting connection with friendship or relationship potential.
First impressions?
A confident, happy and lively person. Andrew didn’t seem at all nervous, so it was relaxed from the get-go.
What did you talk about?
Our careers. Life paths. Travel and where we’ve both lived. Food.
Most awkward moment?
I was shattered, so really could not stay out late. I sensed Andrew was a bit disappointed that I needed to get home.
Good table manners?
I didn’t notice anything untoward.
Best thing about Andrew?
He is an interesting and engaging person who likes to live life to the full. He has interesting ideas for his life going forwards.
Would you introduce Andrew to your friends?
He likes to go dancing, as do my friends and I, so he’d go well with them.
Describe Andrew in three words
Engaging, lively and happy.
What do you think Andrew made of you?
I got the impression he liked me well enough, but who knows?
Did you go on somewhere?
Andrew walked me to my car.
And … did you kiss?
We had a goodbye peck.
If you could change one thing about the evening what would it be?
I would have preferred a lunchtime meet-up as we could have gone on to a gallery or somewhere and made a day of it.
Marks out of 10?
9.
Would you meet again?
We may meet up to do arty things but we both knew there wasn’t any relationship potential due to the age gap and different life stages.
Andrew and Gilli ate at Grand Pacific in Manchester. Fancy a blind date? Email blind.date@theguardian.com